Fasnet and Fastnacht: Where the Different Names Come From
Fasnet and Fastnacht are two names for the same stretch of time before Lent. In Germany, Fasching and Karneval join them. Are those four different festivals? No, the four words stand for the same time on the calendar. Which one people use depends mostly on the region. In this text we explain where each name is common and how the differences came about.
Four Names for One Season
German has no single name that applies across the whole country. Four words are in use: Fasnet, Fastnacht, Fasching and Karneval. In everyday life people say whatever has taken root where they live, so the same festivities are called Karneval in one place and Fasching in another. If you are not familiar with these regional habits, pay attention to where a text comes from as you read.
The season ends on Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins. That moment holds for all four names alike. They refer to the same period on the calendar, not to separate festivals.
Where Is Each Name Used?
Karneval is mostly linked with the Rhineland, Fasching with Bavaria and Austria, and Fasnet and Fastnacht with the southwest and the Alemannic lands. That split is simplified, since Fasnet and Fastnacht are used in the same area. For that reason texts on this tradition often put both words side by side, meaning the same thing. When you read German sources, it helps to notice the regional setting: is it the Rhineland, Bavaria, Austria or the southwest? That usually tells you which term the headline and the text will use.
Swabian-Alemannic Fasnet in Fasnet-Kompass
Fasnet-Kompass is an independent topic portal about Fasnet tradition and Guggenmusik. Here we write about Swabian-Alemannic Fasnet in southwestern Germany, Switzerland and neighboring regions. Our texts offer general information and do not refer to any particular group, guild or town. Many customs trace back to medieval traditions of the time before fasting, although it is often hard to say exactly when a given custom began. We therefore word things carefully and give no dates that cannot be backed up. We use Fasnet and Fastnacht for one and the same tradition in the southwest, in Switzerland and in the Alemannic lands, not for two separate phenomena.
The Organizational Side of the Tradition
Organization is part of the tradition too. The Association of Swabian-Alemannic Fool's Guilds, VSAN for short, was founded in Villingen on November 16, 1924. It started with 13 guilds. These details concern only the beginnings of the association and say nothing about how far it reaches today. The example shows that organized structures stand behind Swabian-Alemannic Fasnet, so its name is more than a regional label.
Summary
Whether people speak of Fasnet, Fastnacht, Fasching or Karneval depends mostly on the region. The different names do not mean that a different festive season is meant. All four describe the time before Lent, which ends on Ash Wednesday. You will find more articles in Fasnet-Kompass.